


Don’t Get Me Wrong

by emmasfrost



Series: Quicksilver Week 2020 [2]
Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616
Genre: Apparent one sided gamquick, Doug and Jamie are good bros, For day 3 of quicksilver week 2020, Forced Outing of character, Janet van dyne loving zone, M/M, finesse asks to perpetuate murder, lorna just wants her brother/best friend to be happy, magnet fam being supportive mfs, which pains me but show must go on
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:08:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24978961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emmasfrost/pseuds/emmasfrost
Summary: Lorna and Pietro go out for the night and things finally come to a head.
Relationships: Lorna Dane & Pietro Maximoff, mentioned Pietro Maximoff/Julio Richter
Series: Quicksilver Week 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1805767
Kudos: 7





	Don’t Get Me Wrong

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to warn for anybody that there is a forced outing of Pietro in this before you read.

Rustling through hanger after hanger, Lorna Dane grasps onto an item of clothing and holds it against herself. Looking in the mirror, she lets out an exasperated sigh. _Her wardrobe needed updating_. If someone had to judge her just by the items in her closet they’d probably insinuate she was some starbucks-loving freshman in college. 

Throwing the dress onto her bed, she shuts her closet doors and peers at the full outfit she pieced together like a jigsaw :

Except the pieces didn’t fit. 

Shrugging, Lorna tells herself she’s still got many boxes to unpack. It had only been two months since the mutants had made their residence in Krakoa. Two months of freedom, two months of sorting crap out and two months of watching her dad fall for Xavier’s poor tricks. She told herself she wouldn’t get involved in her fathers business and yet she _still_ felt it in her duty as his daughter to confide in him about her distrust and worries in Moira and Charles. It was one thing to let Kitty go off unprotected to fight off god knows who; It was an entirely different story when it came to playing god and choosing who gets to be resurrected and who doesn’t. Ruth didn’t deserve to not be given a second life; She of all people, after all, deserved it more than anyone on this whole island of dubious heroes— Her father of all people should have understood. Then there was Irene who Mystique was actively trying to resurrect but to no avail. Lorna couldn’t believe it when her father and Charles directly denied Mystiques right to resurrect her soulmate. She thought of all people, Erik would want to reunite two loves the way he couldn’t with his own. 

But she always knew her father had dubious beliefs. Very well, Charles & Moira can manipulate him all they want, The x-woman would talk her father round eventually....

Don’t get Lorna wrong; She loved being on the island. Here she felt in control and safe from the preying eyes of terrorist groups such as the purifiers and the one sided corrupt government of the united states. However- The quiet council were acting like Gods. She couldn’t quite believe that they were prepared to sentence and snatch away the lives of their friends. A part of her thinks Xavier may have control over them; but dare she think that around him. 

If Lorna was anything in this dark and gloomy world; She was _not_ stupid. 

Sliding her costume off and replacing it with the a navy sequined dress, she throws on a black leather jacket over it and makes sure to switch her thigh high lime shoes for black flats (Its a night out, see? **_Not stupid._ **) 

Once again looking in the mirror, Lorna brushes stray stands of green hair out of her face, gussying up before deeming herself ready enough for the night to come. Grabbing her purse, The mistress of magnetism walks out of her assigned room in the X-factor quarters of the island and heads for the operations room where the main gates are aligned. 

_It really is a beautiful island_ , she ponders to herself as she briskly makes her way, letting flowers tickle her palms as she goes along the gardens. She can see the building in sight and soon enough she is in, immediately greeted with noises of buzzing, beeping and banging. She could feel the magnesium in the room like a damp finger being able to feel a strong gust of wind.

“Doug? You in here?” Lorna shouts out, eyes scanning the large area. She hears rustling before being greeted with a familiar blonde mop of hair poking around the corner. “Hey, Lorna. Are you going out?” Lorna nods, motioning to herself. “Indeed I am.” Doug nods, moving from where he was going through wires and towards the controls desk. “Thats good- You look great, by the way- Not, that you don’t usually its jus-” 

“Thank you.” Lorna smiles, laughing at her oh so awkward friend. Its ironic that Douglas Ramsey also known as the mutant cypher has the gift of being able to communicate in any means possible yet still thumbles over basic communication. 

_**Its like Pietro being a runner but refusing to socialise with the world.** _

“So where are you heading for tonight?” Doug asks, his eyes reverting back to the screens in concentration. “Clubs, anywhere worth going on a night out.” She responds. 

“You going by yourself or waiting for the others?” He further questions. 

“I’m going with Pietro. You and I both know how secluded he can be and so i thought ‘hey, maybe if he relaxes and possibly gets some action then he’ll let go of his anxiety over staying here and finally come live on Krakoa where he much rather belongs then with the Avengers.’” She rattles out, watching Doug spin around and raise an eyebrow. “Let me get this straight; You want your brother to get laid so he won’t feel scared of living here? I don’t see the correlation-” 

“I do!” A familiar cheery tone calls out from one of the gates. Lorna groans though a smile falls onto her face. “And what would that be, Jamie?” 

“By partaking in a social activity with his _oh so lovely sister_ then finding someone to get with for the night, it can sway him over to the light side and we can finally lock him away from those monstrous Avenging things.” Jamie Madrox speaks, coming through a gate as his tone was dipped deeply in sarcastic amusement. Doug shakes his head, “ _Still_ doesn’t make sense.”

Lorna rolls her eyes, “Well it does to me.” Jamie nods along with his friend, shrugging, “Besides, technically if he sleeps with somebody it will wipe his mind clean on how awkward it will be to live with the likes of Rictor after everything that happened between them two- I mean lets not get started on gamb-”

“Excuse me?” Lorna spins around, facing eye to eye with her fellow X-factor alumni. Jamie looks at her oddly. “Well, You know, What happened with Rictor-” 

“What happened with Rictor?” Lorna repeats her question, her face hardening in confusion. Jamie’s face pales as his dawns on him what hes done. Lorna sighs in exasperation. “Madrox, _tell me_ what happened with Julio!” She raises her tone, feeling her insides tense. _What had Pietro done to her friend? **What had Rictor done to her brother?**_

“He’s just messing around, Lorna..” Doug awkwardly brushes off, knowing just how tense the room had became. Lorna shakes her head, turning this time to Doug. “Tell me what he meant.” Lorna defensively asks. Doug’s eyes flash in fear as though he were a deer in headlights. He slants into his seat, “I really don’t know, I think you should talk to your brother about this-” 

“Fine.” Lorna mutters, crossing her arms. “Don’t tell me. But answer me this; these things.. Does everybody know about this except me?”

Jamie hastily shakes his head, “No- No! Its just these rumours I suppose. You know how k/rumours are on the net.” Doug nods, seeing the eagerness in Jamie to switch the situation. “Yeah exactly!” He points over to him. “For example, Yesterday I read about this rumour that someone is in love with someone at sea- which is obviously Kitty!” Lorna looks between the two, her eyes glaring holes into them. 

“I think it could be Piotr.” Jamie suggests, Doug shakes his head. “Nope- Illyana. She’s clearly in love with her.”

Lorna scoffs, “Its Rachel, you muppets. And she doesn’t hide it.”

“How’d you know that?” Jamie questions. Lorna raises a finger to her lips. “Maybe if you told me what was happening with my brother I would. So, I won’t.” Her faces grows dark as her eyes look over to a gate. Bringing out her phone, she checks the time. 9:32pm. She doesn’t look up. “Could you programme one of the gates to go to the gate nearest to sixth avenue?”

Doug shares a look with Jamie before nodding, scanning for gates before connecting to one. “Have fun.” Doug calls. Lorna sighs, “You too.”

Heading for the illuminate gate, she heads through it in one brisk motion, leaving Doug and Jamie alone in the room. Doug launches a book at Jamie’s head, earning a groan from the older of the two. “What was that for?” He demands. Doug slumps into his desk chair, crossing his arms. “Of course Lorna wouldn’t know, and now she practically knows and Pietro, Our teammate- Our _friend_ , doesn’t even know what’s being spread. Do you really think he’s going to welcome Lorna’s question with open arms? They might not even talk again!” Doug rants on, he himself feeling flustered and anxious from the impending situation. 

Jamie sighs deeply, falling onto a seat in defeat. **_fuck_**. “Hey Doug...You think you can hack into something?” 

———————

Night life in New York was possibly the busiest and most liveliest place in all the world. (Probably, probably not. She’ll need to ask Pietro about that.) Though Krakoa offered satisfactory entertainment for nights out, it just couldn’t beat the excitement a night in the red apple could. Walking along the compact pavements, she made sure to bring a hat with her to conceal her unique hair just until she reached her first destination. As much as she felt buzzed to be out and about and not crammed into a office for fifteen hours, her chest still felt clogged from her earlier conversation with Jamie and Doug about her brother and Rictor. How is it that they know something she doesn’t? What could have been so bad that she didn’t know? Why is it they thought she’d know? Why _doesn’t_ she know?...

Shaking her head, she tries to bury the thoughts and worries away. Turning a street corner, her eyes lock with her destination and she heads across the road, not a worry however for her own safety; She could control and sense metal, no longer did road safety adverts faze her. Approaching the gate, she presses a button which lets out an exhausted buzz. After a few moments of silence, much like her half brother, she looses patience and consistently buzzes in. It was the middle of November; **She was cold**. 

“Hello?” A voice says. Lorna sighs. “Its me, Lorna, Polaris, the ‘better looking lehnsherr sprawn.’ she responds, The voice on the other end lets out a tiresome groan. _Now_ she recognises the voice. “Rogers just let me in the damn building.”

“Look with everything thats going on right now with the Fantastic Four and Krakoa———Andd you’ve smashed the gate.” Steve Rogers sighs in defeat. Lorna lets chunks of the metal gate fall to the ground in a heap. She knew Krakoa would get billed; But, she is cold...

Stepping inside the grounds she heads straight for the door and knocks on it. Moments pass and the red glossed door swings open to reveal a much, much more likable Avenger. “Janet.” Lorna smiles. Janet smiles back, mirroring Lorna’s greeting. “Hey Lorn- Is that our gate in that metal heap?” 

Lorna nods awkwardly, expecting a scold from the wasp but instead receiving an amused look. “...Good. It was an ugly thing.” Lorna laughs softly and Janet moves aside, letting her in. “You look great, by the way,” Janet muses as the x-woman walks inside. 

It seems they reverted the mansion back to its original roots but subtract the ancient decorating. Now it was filled with modern furniture, decorations and art; something foreign to Xavier’s institute. 

“Thank you..” Lorna beams, Peering around the spirals of staircases, trying to find any sign of her brother. “Do you know where Pietro is?” Jan inclines, crossing her arms. “He’s just coming down.”

Lorna nods. Janet looks at her as though trying to gather the right words. “I heard from Wanda you want them to join you on the island.” She approaches the subject. “I just wanted to have the whole family together...And I don’t mean to offend, but, I think Pietro would feel more comfortable on the island (Or so she thought). New York is so.. Cramped after all. No places to run to.” 

“Fair enough.” Janet shrugs. A door closes from above them and her eyes fall to Lorna, “That should be him, I’ll leave you two to it. Have fun.” She departs with a small smile, walking towards what seemed to be the living room. Seconds later, Lorna feels the familiar warm gust of wind hit her skin and she is finally greeted with the presence of her brother. Looking her brother up and down, she shakes her head. Before he can even ask why, she pushes her hand in his hair and messes it up. Pietro scolds, speeding back into a wall. Letting out an ‘oof’, he curses under his breath. “I took time on my hair!” he moans, attempting to flatten his hair that had already began to frizz up once more. Lorna rolls her eyes, “You looked too formal- you look better with your hair natural.” 

The speedster scowls, putting his hands to his sides, “Could of told me that…”

“Its already happened, no need to dwell- Now lets go.” Lorna instructs, looping an arm with her brother. Pietro rolls his eyes but mimics her movement. The two walk out the mansion, heading for their joint destination of the night as Pietro adds, “And we are _not_ going to any type of strip clubs like what you did for Wanda’s birthday- That was just **_embarrassing_**.”

  
  


———————

  
  


Getting into clubs had been fairly easy due to Lorna’s charm that some would swear could be put down as another mutation. Once inside it was straight to the bar where Lorna butted in before Pietro could order a lighter drink. “Four Vodka shots!” Lorna calls over the loud music. The bartender smiles, nodding in acknowledgement and Lorna grins back “Thanks!” Turning to her brother, she raises an eyebrow at him. “What?” He says, mimicking her facial expression. “How’s life with the avengers been seen we last talked?” She questions, 

Pietro shrugs, “It’s been as okay as it can be. It’s the avengers after all, so there’s always something wrong.” He lightly jokes. Lorna nods in agreement, “Hmm, For me I’m tired of watching summers and Howlett slobber over Jean. Part of me wouldn’t mind the Avengers hiding her from that Testosterone filled home she’s living in.” This time Pietro lets out a full laugh, rolling his eyes, “Now I think about it, she has terrible taste in men.” 

The younger of the two hums, the conversation bringing her back to her earlier one with Madrox and Ramsey. “Actually, I really need to tell yo—“ Lorna is interrupted but the bartender as he hands them their shots. The two thank him once more, Pietro raising an eyebrow at her, “The music is really loud in here– What were you saying?” 

The green haired woman pauses for a moment, contemplating to be upfront. Instead Lorna shakes her head, breathing deeply, “Don’t worry– it was just this random thing Madrox had rambled about, you know how he is.” Pietro nods, laughing along unknowingly with her. 

A part of Lorna felt deceived; another part didn’t want him to know. She felt either selfish or pathetic but the look on Doug and Ramsey’s faces gave it away. Piet didn’t want people to know and she just...if wanda knew and she didn’t she understood but at the same time..She always felt let out of the know. Grabbing both of her shot glasses, she downs them both in seconds & letting the stinging liquid annihilated her tastebuds in an attempt to numb the thoughts.

Pietro looks at her questionably, only having just grasped his first one. She nods over to him, “Go on, we came here to have a good time— Can I have another two please? Lorna shouts, catching the attention of the bar attendant. Pietro takes his first shot, wincing at the taste of the spicy alcohol. Lorna lets out a laugh, clapping him on the back. 

What Jamie said didn’t mean anything really, especially not tonight. They were going to have fun and not think about the unknown.

  
  


**_Right?_ **

  
  


———————

It was 12am as Lorna swayed along to the beat of the music. Lights beamed down upon her and she smiled, welcoming the faux happiness that would distract her for the rest of the night. 

Her eyes fall to the bar where Pietro sat awkwardly looking around the club in discomfort. She feels herself roll her eyes. Dancing towards him, he looks up at her with a soft smile. 

“Come onn, Piet- you need to dance.” Lorna laughs, grabbing on to his hand. Pietro shakes his head but proceeds to stand up to join Lorna in the heap of bodies bouncing around. “Aren’t you enjoying this? I’m enjoying this.” She beams. Pietro nods to the music, “Yes, I am though I’m beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol— I think my legs might go.” 

“I got you five bottles of vodka; think about my bank account; _but it had to be done_.” She grins, spinning around. Pietro laughs along with her as she does too. It’s only when lorna falls against him he realises that she’d reached her limit; and it was quite a big one at that. 

For the past three hours he’d watched as she drank her body weight down in alcohol and danced around with g-d knows how many people. And for the first time in a while (though Pietro would never admit it), he didn’t feel worried, he felt himself be normal for once. Nobody stared at him saying **_‘oh look its that ex terrorist quicksilver!’_** and Pietro partly put it down to the new trend of every male dyeing each strand of their hair to silver (which deep down infuriated him but at the same time made him feel _just_ a bit better about himself.)

Pietro himself had been approached by multiple people but not for the usual jibes, pictures & insults. Instead, his face had heated up as women and men chatted up to him. A part of him was thrilled that they were interested in him, another fraction was disgusted, whilst the other two parts were scared and ashamed. He stayed by the bar ever since, hoping to bury himself away from lingering eyes. Things had been going so well, he’d been able to escape from his present worries and was now sucked all the way back into it. 

Looking down, Pietro clears his throat. Lorna looks at him in drunken concern however doesn’t say a word. For herself, the words were stuck in her throat. She wanted to know what was going on in his life; his eyes had became an overflowing glass of emotion and yet because she loves her brother, she thought she was the first person he would confine in and she just didn’t know what to say.

_Or maybe it was the fact that she was drunk._

Her morals had just became even more dubious. 

“Let’s get you sober, Yeah?” Pietro persuades to her. Lorna reluctantly groans in response. Leading the two out of the crowds, he grabs their coats and heads out to the front door to be greeted with rain drizzling down. Pietro sighs, passing Lorna his own coat. “Thanks,” she muses, patting him on the back. 

Pietro nods, “I don’t need it like you.”   
  


Lorna smiles. “I think I might be sick.” 

“Maybe I do need it–“ Lorna bursts into laughter at her brothers change of mind and after a few moments, so does Pietro. 

Arm in arm, the two head down the street looking much more sweaty and out of it than when they first turned up. Pietro is thinking about how glad he is that he doesn’t have both his sisters to look after like the last time. 

Meanwhile, Lorna wonders what it would have been like growing up with Pietro. She pushes the thoughts aside, knowing the answer would have been much like his; growing up a little less lonely. 

  
  


————————

The lights in the tiny corner restaurant shone down upon them with brightness that seemed to have similar sobering effects to throwing a bucket of water over somebody. Lorna stood swaying against an old jukebox having asked Pietro for 50¢ to put on a song of her choice that wasn’t ‘murdering her eardrums and mood’. Pietro hoped for some Hozier or Dazzler; Instead he let out an internal groan when he hears what his sister picked. 

“ _ **My hips don’t lie and I’m starting to feel it’s right,**_ ” Lorna sings along, attempting to dance along in various ways that Pietro deemed inappropriate.

The man managing the front of the kebab house looked at him with an expression that Pietro could only read as ‘ _is there something wrong with her? can’t you control her?’_ Pietro lets out an awkward laugh, eyes darting between the two, “You should see her when she’s angry drunk, this is _nothing_ …” The other man only shrugs, asking for their order. Pietro runs it down, ordering five for him and one for Lorna. 

By the time he retreats back to where they were situated, she was sitting on the ground. Pietro frowns, “Lorna...you need to get up.” 

“I can’t.” She whispers to him as though it were a secret; reality was that it was fairly obvious to most. 

“What do yo- Lorn..” Placing his hands under her arms, he helps her stand up as she laughs, falling into one of the seats. Sitting down in front of her, he only stares. Lorna quirks up an eyebrow, 

“What is it?”

“You’re acting weird.” Pietro answers, a frown pulling on his lips. Lorna rolls her eyes, “It may be foreign to you but _this_ is what it looks like to have _fun_.” 

The speedster shakes his head. “ **No**. You drank way more than I’ve ever seen you drink.” He mutters quietly, not wishing to cause a scene like other past occurances. “Why? Why do you wish to drink this much?” 

“It’d be better for the both of us that I am calm.” Lorna responds, fiddling with the forks. Pietro, oddly, doesn’t budge. “You’re _not_ calm; you’re drunkenly relaxed.” He insists. 

The female mutant frowns. “It’s better than feeling confusingly crap.” She mutters. Pietro raises an eyebrow. “It’s not better when you’re behaving like a child—” 

“ **I am not behaving like a child!** ” Lorna raises her tone, the fork in her hand bending drastically beneath her. The two tensely stare at each other, not realising a waiter was there staring at the two as he held their orders in internalised fear. Lorna turns to him finally, grabbing the food with a muttered thank you– a smile just to not be kicked out.

“...something has been bothering you the whole night– I need to know what it is.” Pietro enquires. Lorna shakes her head, “I don’t think you’ll want to know–“ 

“Lorna.”

”i don’t think you’ll want me to know–“

”Tell me.”

“Please can we drop this?” The younger of the two begs, playing with her food. 

“Tell. Me...please.” Pietro begs. His insides churned with worry for his sister. _Could something have happened to her at the club? Had she not been looked out for enough tonight? Was it something at the island? It must be something at the island—_

“What happened between you and Julio?” Lorna breaks his thoughts, her face neutral with emotions. Pietro feels his throat dry as air escaped his body, suddenly the alcohol sobering up in him as his head began to pulse. Thoughts race through his head, words of panic and anger as well as excuses after excuses to give. 

“I don’t understand.” Pietro instead plays dumb. 

Lorna _isn’t_. 

“ _You_ know. _Jamie_ knows you know. And... _I_ would like to know.” 

“Whats going on? Why are you and Madrox talking about this?” Pietro can barely stifle out, swallowing down the lump in his throat. 

“He told me something was posted on krakoa’s Reddit about rumours and it was something about you and Rictor then something about rem-.” Lorna tried to explain, though the memory was foggy with the alcohol still boiling in her system. 

Pietro doesn’t wait to answer, instead standing up from his seat, his chest moving rapidly underneath his shirt. Lorna frowns, her eyebrows creasing. “Pietro?” He doesn’t respond, instead his eyes darting around as though to find an exit route. 

**_He couldn’t leave Lorna,_ ** he thought to himself. **_She knew— everybody knew and he wanted the control of when and how to say it. Who had even posted it? He needed to leave but he can’t leave Lorna, He can’t run, He can’t run, He can’t—_ **

His legs move on automatic as he opens the restaurant doors, only once getting outside did he break into a panicked state. Lorna follows soon after, stumbling out not giving two fucks on earth about the food— her brother needed her support. When Lorna tried to approach him, he turned away from her as though he wished to hide his face. 

_No_ , Pietro would argue; _it’s to hide my shame._

“Pietro tell me what’s wrong so I can help.”

“L..Lorna I didn’t want you to know..I was working on it, I was getting better…” She can barely hear him as he responds in a haze. “Pietro…” 

“They’ll know...everybody will know and I won’t get a say– I was getting better at it, Lorna. _Things were getting better._ ” Pietro croaks out, this time lorna can’t help herself. Placing a hand on her brothers shoulder, she stares at the back of his head with eyes that begged. “Please look at me,” Lorna pleads. Pietro shakes his head, “After the last time, I told myself I wouldn’t let anybody know. I didn’t want you to know, I didn’t want you to be angry–“ 

“Pietro. Please.” She could feel her voice grow hoarse as her emotions took over. She could tell where this was going but no way in hell would she jump him on it— he will say it when _he feels comfortable._

Slowly and shakily, Pietro turns around and Lorna is greeted with a face of shattered defeat and fear. She could see the stream of tears trickling down his cheeks as hard as he tried to stop them. “I’m sorry, Lorna- I-I would have said but....if I wasn’t a freak already, what are people going to see now?” 

“You’re not a freak. You’ve _never_ been a freak to me.” Lorna cries out, begging the lords above and beyond to just bring her brother peace because this sure as hell had eaten him up alive for too long.

  
_**Too damn long.** _

“I’ve liked men, Lorn, like _really_ liked them. I-I _do_ like them..I like them as much as women.” He confides softly, his voice completely falling about as he cries in shame. Lorna’s chest pounds as the penny drops. Staring at her brother, she feels her emotions spiral in her stomach (it couldn’t of been the alcohol– that was more a fizz) as she tried to find the correct words to say. When looking at her brother after the revelation, unlike to popular belief; she saw her older brother no differently— if anything **_she finally saw him._**

“What would Django and Marya think? What would my mother think? Would our father really be okay with this...ive fucked up, Lorna. I can’t- I can’t do this– I just need to run–“ he panics. Lorna can sense he’s about to hyperventilate and who knows what type of severity that is for speedsters. Bringing him to the gravelled pavement, she is glad they chose a secluded area of New York to eat. Pulling her brother into a hug, she lets him cry into her as she strokes through his hair like a mother would to their child. “They would still love you more than anything, Pie. _We all still love you.”_

Pietro looks at her, eyes wild like a frightened animal. “I’m **Roma** , Lorna. I’m **jewish** , I’m a **mutant** and I have _always_ been those things– but I am perceived as half which makes it oh so worse because that means I’m alone and I don’t fit into a socially created category. Do you really think it’s that easy to add being bisexual to that list of things that will only _further isolate me_ from everybody? To make me well and truly _**alone**_?” His eyes plead for forgiveness and it shatters Lorna’s heart. 

“Rictor and I–” 

“You don’t need to tell me.” Lorna interjects, looking her brother directly in the eyes. “I won’t forgive you because there’s nothing to forgive. This isn’t about me and you didn’t have to tell me and I have to deal with that— just don’t say it if you don’t want to.” 

“I...Things happened, things ended, we both are okay, good terms and all I suppose...” 

“Do you think he would have posted it? If he has I’ll kill him.” Lorna hisses, her anger over who hurt her brother and who had taken away the power he should of had taking over. Pietro shakes his head, jolting up, “no- **no**! he wanted it just as private as me, he would joke about it but _nobody_ took it seriously…” 

Lorna nods, letting Pietro’s head rest against her shoulder. “You don’t have to say anymore. We’ll sort this out, okay? You don’t need to do anything you don’t want to just know I’ll support you regardless.” Pietro nods into her shoulder, mumbling, “Nothing happened with Remy, If you’re thinking about that. I just...I had a call with Julio back when we were an x-factor team at serval. It was after the conference and he called saying he respected what I had said...we talked about things that had happened and then called a few more times. I..I confined in him about my feelings for Remy and he tried to help…” Pietro further explains. 

Lorna feels the tears damped through her dress– she was thankful this werent Wanda— at least she wouldn’t have to scrub eyeliner off (though it would be worth it any day just to comfort them both.) And just as Lorna thinks of Wanda, Pietro pipes up “What do you think wanda thinks? Do you think she knows? She’s going to hate me for keeping this a secret isn’t she?” He drowns into further panic and Lorna can only watch and comfort him as he does. “If she does know then she won’t care and she will _still_ love you.” She consoles. 

“ _Lorna, I’m **really** scared_.” He confides ever so quietly to her like a child would after a nightmare. Lorna rubs his back, ignoring just how odd it must be for the restaurant owner and those that could pass them that they’re on the ground sharing tears. “It’s okay to be scared, I can’t tell you not to be but I can tell you that the people that matter most to you love you no matter what. Look at me,” following his sisters command, Pietro looks directly at her. Lorna smiles softly, “Pietro, Who I see right here, Right now, is my brother. You are the brother that took care of me when I had nobody else– the one that stood by me no matter, no matter how many bullets I aimed at you. You stood through it all and I will not ever, ever give up on us. Especially not now because I am _proud of you._ You’re stronger than you know and you will get through this because you’re Pietro Maximoff, my brother, and I love you endlessly.” She professes to her brother, watching as his eyes illuminated the lamppost lights through his watering tears once more.

In response, Pietro nests his head into her lap as he silently cries, finding sanctuary of this more terrifying new world he found himself living in. Lorna hugged him, hushing him through her drunken, sobering state and protecting him from the cruel world around them. Whoever had spread it, whoever had snatched his right of power over something like this would _die_ and Lorna didn’t care. 

They’d broken her brother and she was **damn** well certain she’d break the monster just to find the pieces to put her own brother back together. 

————————

By the time the two siblings had returned it was 3am. Lorna strode in through the portal grasping her brother into a side hug. Doug looks upon the two to find Lorna numbly looking back. Another body shoots up from under a huddle of sheets, eyes shot wide open. “Lorna about the forum—” 

“It’s fine, Jamie, Piet just needs to process this.” Lorna mumbles. Jamie shakes his head, motioning to Doug and himself. “Actually, we uh, we deleted the post and replaced it with….uh..” he looks at Doug for support and the other man sighs “Jamie’s goth faze. Apparently the whole island is eating it up and as they should because it is hilarious.” Doug softly laughs. 

“Can I have a look?” A voice calls out. Lorna looks at her brother in concern. “Piet you really should sleep—”

“No I want to see the picture, it’s only a once in a lifetime chance to witness goth jamie.” He slightly laughs and that is enough for Jamie to swiftly pull out his phone to show his friend; He blamed himself for the post, really. He couldn’t remember one person that he’d told of Rictor’s confession. He couldn’t trust himself anyway with the whole creating doubles that could turn bad thing. 

Pietro peers at the picture and lets out a muffled laugh, “Yeah...You make a Really _really_ bad goth.” 

Lorna looks between the three of them before her eyes land back on Pietro. “We really should get to bed.” Jamie nods, grabbing his phone back. “It’s pretty damn late, I think we should.” Doug shakes his head, pointing to the screens, “wish I could but I have night duty.” Lorna frowns, “Remind me to make you a coffee tomorrow, okay?” 

Doug nods, “yes, yes— now out of my castle before I bar you.” He shouts in a jokingly menacing tone. Pietro raises an eyebrow, “barring is for pubs—“ 

“Goodnight!” Lorna calls, dragging her brother with her as they walk out, their final destination being x-factor’s quarters. 

Once having led Pietro through the array of gardens to the island and endless hallways attached to their pod homes, they reach her room where she demands Pietro sleep while she takes the couch. 

“Lorna I am not taking your bed.” Pietro argues, his voice still shallow from the emotional wreck he had became only hours before. Lorna shakes her head, walking to the door, “you’re sleeping in my room because you’ve had the shittiest thing done to you and let me tell you one thing; I’ll find out who did this and when I do they’ll soon regret ever messing with you,” She strongly states, not budging from her previous command.

Pietro can only nod, caving in to his sister’s demand. Lorna smiles, switching the bedroom light off as she stands in the hallway. “Pietro...Don’t you ever tell anybody this but..before we found out we’re related, you weren’t just my friend but you were probably my best friend and..i thought to myself ‘if I am magneto’s child, I can bare the pain and resentment just to be related to you.” Lorna confides. The room stays silent for a few moments before she hears Pietro quietly laugh. “It’s funny, I use to hope the same thing...And I am sorry for not telling you..about...you know th—“ 

“It’s okay.” Lorna intervenes, not wanting him to dwell on the pain any longer. She can faintly see him nod in the hollow dark and she feels relieved. “Goodnight...Love you, Bro.” Lorna calls inside the room ever so quietly.

“I love you too, Sister. Goodnight.” Pietro responds. The green haired mutant smiles to herself and she closes the door. Both know neither will sleep through the night as both would be worried about the silver haired mutant but both would attempt to incase fate has mercy. 

For the first time since her childhood, Lorna prays. She prays that it does indeed have mercy on Pietro. 

————————

It was 5am when Pietro awoke from his light sleep. For the two hours of sleep he received, it was full of tossing and turning that could only be comparable to a boat on stormy ocean waves.

Peering around to find a window, he sees the gloomy moonlight illuminate upon the island. All Pietro wanted to do was run off the ends of the earth (If it had any to begin with) and perish from the unfair consequences of his newly crafted life.

**It wasn’t fair.**

He’d taken so long to figure it all out and he’d finally had it all under control and now...now it wasn’t in his control at all. _And it really fucking scared him._

Before he could even realise, his hands grasped for his phone where it laid upon the bed side cabinet. Gently pulling the plug out, he looks upon the notifications that shone on the cracked screen. 

**Jeanne**

_Missed call._

**Wanda**

_1 Voicemail_.

**Wanda**

_127 missed calls._

**Crystal**

_13 new messages_. 

**Jeanne**

_235 new messages._

**Clint**

_10 Voicemails_

**Janet**

_12 new messages._

**Tommy (Your Favourite Nephew❤️)**

_79 Voicemails._

  
  


**61 other notifications.**

  
  


Shaking his head at the number of spam his phone had received in such few hours, he slides to unlock his phone and clicking onto a singular contact, 

“Pietro, it’s Wanda.. **of course you know this is me, This is my contact**...I just wanted to know that you’re okay. I know that you won’t be and that’s also okay but at the same time it breaks my heart. I’ve seen screenshots flying around twitter, things are trending and I...If it makes you feel any better they’re really rooting for you out there. **You’re not alone, Pietro.** As far as I’m aware you’re still you, still the brother I love and the same moron that throws himself into walls. I don’t care who you want to love, as long as you’re happy and I fear you haven’t been happy for a long long time and i hate that I’ve never realised. Yes, I am confused about why you never said anything to me but it’s not my place to complain. I just..I wanted to tell you really that **I love you..I love you very much little brother** and I just.. call back when you can, okay?”

Wiping aware stray tears sliding down his paled cheeks, he sighs deeply as he presses the phone to his chest to digest all that was said. So it had spread across twitter; but his sister didn’t care. He hadn’t lost the only person he had through their most troubling times. And that’s all that matter to Pietro though the supposed support he was receiving was okay as well. 

But Wanda & Lorna’s meant so much more. 

Clicking onto his messages, he finds a familiar contact at the top of the list and taps on it, blinded when seeing the amount of messages having been received. 

  
  
  


**Scroll for more messages**

  
  


**Jeanne**

Tommy told me if I spam you enough you will respond. 

**Jeanne**

I’m sorry 

**Jeanne**

I still think you’re the best. 

**Jeanne**

I don’t really know how to deal with comfort during a situation like this. 

**Jeanne**

I can contact my sperm donor of a father and he could kill whoever has done this. He won’t remember after therefore police interviews will be pointless. It is a good plan. 

**Jeanne**

He is okay with the plan.   
  


**Jeanne**

I’m not allowed to do the plan.

**Jeanne**

Julie has told me I should not let my father kill without your permission. Or kill at all. I can’t remember. 

**Jeanne**

Instead I’m sending something called a virtual hug. 

Pietro feels himself softly laugh at the messages she had sent; wether finesse knew it or not she had a charm to her that much like Luna, she could sway him away from internalised storms. He makes sure to type out a response, one that would reassure the youngster that he was okay. He knew how she could worry and did not want her to travel to his empty apartment for nothing. (She jumps ahead of things oh too much like he does.) 

Continuing to scroll through messages and voicemails, he feels himself begin to cry all over again. They weren’t tears of sadness, however, but tears of relief. His friends did not see him any different; if anything they actually saw him. Crystal’s messages were filled with support and hope whilst Tommy’s and Clint’s voicemails were of irritating love that made Pietro’s heart reluctantly swell. 

Janets messages were more Peculiar and in general different to the rest. Instead of messages distinctively about what had happened, the acknowledgement was subtly there. 

**Janet**

Hey Piet, how’d last night with your sister go?

**Janet**

I’m guessing she’s brAinwashEd you to the ‘light’ side now?

**Janet**

We’ll have to mourn them for the avengers loss. 

**Janet**

Tony is being irritating again, talking about how he needs to make a new mark suit. 

**Janet**

Space for another one on that cult island?

**Janet**

Shit, I’ve just been called onto some mission, We’ll chat later? Love you Maximoff.

Pietro laughs softly along to each message. After responding to each message from his closest relatives and friends, he locks his phone & stands up, deciding he better be prepared for the day. 

Having no spare clothes on him or remotely close to the island, Pietro simply brushes out his hair and washes his face, hoping it will change the strain that was evident on his bloodshot eyes. 

No, it does not. 

As he’s about to walk out the door, he finds an enveloped slipped under the bedroom door. Frowning, Pietro picks it up to examine. In neater than neat handwriting, his name sat upon the front. He contemplates on wether he wishes to see what’s inside, Will it be nice or will it be the start of severe hatred? Ripping it open, he decides he’d rather know now then later on. 

His eyes peer at the letter in front of him, and he feels his eyes drawn to the sheet as he sees the first sentence. 

**To my son,**

**A lot had changed these past few hours and I myself feel the need to take blame. Firstly I would like to say krakoa shouldn’t of had k/rumours in the first place. I do not find it useful nor do I find it ethical.**

**Secondly, I know we’ve never seen eye to eye. I know that I’ve done despicable things to you that deep down you may never forgive, but know from the bottom of my heart all the way to the surface of the old thing; I love you and though this all hasn’t came out on your own terms, I am still proud of you. I worry that you may have kept this all to yourself partly due to me and my old behaviours that have harmed you so extensively. And for that, I am ashamed of myself. I accept you as you are, even when I am a bitter old man that finds you as irritating as you do Thomas. But it doesn’t change the fact that you are Magda’s son– you are my son and I love you. Your mother still would too and I know this for certain. These next few months, I feel you will need more support than usual.**

**So, I ask if you would like for us to start again.**

**I do myself if it’s any consolation.**

**I can see why your mother named you Pietro– you have been so many people’s rocks, but in this situation you cannot. So I am here for you when you need to talk. And you are allowed to cry- and I’m sorry that i ever made you think different.**

**I love you my son,**

**Your father, Erik.**

**X**

  
  


As the letter drawls to a close, he lets himself slide onto the ground. Grasping the letter in his hands, he lets all the tears of relief and anxiety fall out of him. The one man deep down he feared most was okay with it. As his father had said, he let himself cry; this time without no regrets or shame. He was right that it will take time, but Pietro believes he can one day be okay with it too. 

  
  


————————

The kettle hums as it boils water that lets out humid steam. Spreading butter against soft toast, Lorna sings quietly to a song playing on the radio. It was 6am and most of x-factor had just began to wake up. None had mentioned anything about the previous days revelations, instead acting as normal and Lorna couldn’t be more thankful for Pietro’s sake. Instead, Rachel took it upon herself to explain to Jamie and Doug about how the rumours post about a certain sea captain was hers. 

“So… you like Kitty?” Jamie concludes, raising an eyebrow at her. Rachel shakes her head, “No, I love her– _god did you even read it?_ ” The older man’s eyes widen in surprise as Layla laughs in amusement at her husbands shock. “Well I would have re-read the post but Doug and I...we..we corrupted the website..it’s gone.” He admits, this time his wife wearing the face of shock. Rachel at first look annoyed as though her diary full of secrets had been disposed of but then quickly grins, “How many viruses did you use?” Doug bursts into a conversation about tech and how warlock had helped him create these terrible viruses to make sure the posts could never be brought back. 

All the while, Rachel looks over at Pietro who was stirring around the cereal and milk in his bowl. She smiles because of course she would; she’s Jean Grey’s daughter. “Are you joining the team then? You’re more perspective than Madrox here.” Pietro looks up to meet her gaze, seeing the insulted look worn on his friends face from the corner of his eye. He shakes his head awkwardly, “Uhm, no, I’m not.. I’m just visiting.” Lorna looks over at the table of mutants, crossing her arms across her chest. “You _should_ join. We have new recruits that are sure as hell going to mess up at least once and you’re a good teacher.”

“I don’t know…” Pietro furrows his brows. 

Then, the least unexpected voice chimes in agreement “I agree with Lorna. It’s better then running errands for the Avengers.” Layla Madrox expresses, shocking Pietro. His face must of shown the shock as she rolls her eyes in response a few seconds later, “you’re _still_ an asshole, just a decent one I guess.” Doug lets out a laugh, nearly choking on his cereal. Rachel rolls her eyes, slapping the man on his back. “We’re all assholes in our own unique ways; well except Doug. You’re just... _nice_.”

“And that’s bad?” Doug raises an eyebrow. Rachel shrugs, “We all like a bit of a team rift.”

They continue on with their conversation and soon lorna joins them. Every now and then she will look over to her left to see if Pietro is okay and his eyes spoke that he was. Soon, most of the team had left for training and it was just Lorna and Pietro left to clear their messes up. 

“Things will get better... _right?_ ” Pietro breaks the silence as he turns off the kitchen tap. Lorna turns to him, placing a plate down, “Things can only ever go up from here. Just no more secrets, okay?” 

Pietro nods, looking down. “...Clint is terrible at Wii archery.” 

“What?” Lorna stifles a laugh as she scrapes another plate clean. Pietro bites down his own laugh, inclining his head, “He gets so angry over it because I always beat him. He shot a real arrow through the tv.” Lorna lets out a loud laugh and soon enough Pietro joins in too. 

And just like that it was as though things were back to normal; and to be fair, things had never changed in the first place. It was going to be hard, Lorna knew it would be. But with Wanda, their father, family and friends and herself there to help him. She had thought it last night but in this moment of laughter she felt it again; Lorna could **_really_** see Pietro now. No more did she see the armour of quicksilver and instead there he was; Pietro Django Maximoff slowly taking off his shields. It was a beautiful sight to see, one that warmed his sisters heart. 

It made things all the more certain: She was going to make sure he’ll never feel the need to hide himself again; Pietro Maximoff wasn’t going to feel alone again. 

**Author's Note:**

> My headcanon was infact that Snow was the one to out Pietro due to his very much dubious (and potential as a villain) characteristics. Originally this was going to be an ongoing plot but decided to post a one shot for this week. I hope you enjoy reading.


End file.
